The Delta Gold American Express is an official rewards credit card of Delta Air Lines. Delta has over 15,000 daily flights to more than 333 global destinations in 64 countries. If you are a Delta frequent flyer, this card delivers. Delta Gold American Express offers a signup bonus to new members but there is no introductory APR available at this time. The $95 annual fee is waived for the first year of membership.
New account holders have the opportunity to earn 30,000 Bonus Miles after spending at least $1,000 on eligible purchases during the first three months that your account is open. Eligible purchases are defined as the total amount of transactions minus any credits, returns or other adjustments. Balance transfers, interest charges, cash advances, purchases of traveler’s checks or foreign currency and any type of fee do not count towards the spending requirement. Miles will post to your account within 6-8 weeks from when the spending threshold is met.
New members will receive a statement credit of $50 after making an initial Delta purchases within the first three months that your card is active. Your purchase must be submitted under a Delta merchant code in order to qualify for the statement credit.
There is no introductory APR available with the Delta Gold American Express. A variable APR of 15.24% to 19.54% is applied to purchases and balance transfers. Your specific APR is determined at the time of approval and is based on your creditworthiness and other financial factors. Additionally, a balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the total amount of the transfer (whichever is greater) is applied to each balance transfer that posts to your account.
Members earn miles at the following rates:
- 2X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 1X mile on all other purchases
Miles are redeemable towards travel on Delta. As an example, One Way Award Tickets start at just 10,000 miles (plus taxes and fees). There is no limit to how many miles you can earn as long as your account remains open and in good standing.
Delta Air Lines maintains key hubs throughout the United States along with its headquarters in Atlanta (ATL). These hubs include:
- Boston (BOS)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Minneapolis – St. Paul (MSP)
- New York JFK (JFK)
- New York LaGuardia (LGA)
- Salt Lake City (SLC)
- Seattle (SEA)
Delta also has numerous foreign hubs such as Amsterdam (AMS), Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Tokyo Narita (NRT).
Delta Air Lines is a member of the SkyTeam Global Alliance which includes these global carriers:
| Aeroflot | Aerolineas Argentinas | AeroMexico | AirEuropa |
| AirFrance | Alitalia | China Airlines | China Eastern |
| China Southern | Czech Airlines | Delta | Garuda Indonesia |
| Kenya Airways | KLM | Korean Air | MEA |
| Saudia | Tarom | Vietnam Airlines | Xiamen Air |
Delta Air Lines also has a new partnership with Virgin Atlantic for travel between the U.S. and London Heathrow (LHR).
Delta Gold American Express members also enjoy these benefits:
- First Checked Bag Free – A potential savings of $50 on a round-trip flight
- Priority Boarding – Board sooner, stow your bag and get settled with less hassle
- Discounted Delta Sky Club Access – You and two traveling companions can enjoy complimentary snacks and beverage plus Wi-Fi access and other amenities for a reduced fee
There are no foreign transaction fees associated with this card.
The annual membership fee of $95 is waived for the first year.
The Facts
Below we have broken down the details of the Delta Gold American Express to help you determine if it’s the right card for you.
The Good:
Signup bonus:
New cardholders receive 30,000 Bonus Miles after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months that your account is open. New members also earn a $50 statement credit after making an initial Delta purchase also within the first three months.
First Checked Bag Free:
Cardmembers are entitled to one free checked bag per flight. The flight reservation must be made using the Delta Gold American Express and must include the member’s SkyMiles number. This fee is also waived for up to nine traveling companions listed on the same reservation. At $25 per bag per flight, these waived fees can result in big savings.
Double Miles on Delta purchases:
Members earn 2X miles per dollar spent on all Delta branded purchases via delta.com such as Delta Vacation packages as well as Delta flights that are purchased with your card. You also earn double miles on in-flight purchases such as miles, seat selection, upgrades, Sky Club membership or passes, pre-purchased meals, food, beverages and in-flight entertainment.
All other purchases earn 1X mile per dollar spent.
Redeem miles for travel:
Miles can be redeemed starting at just 10,000 miles for One Way Award Tickets (plus taxes and fees).
Additional benefits:
- Priority Zone 1 Boarding
- Discounted Delta Sky Club Access
20% Discount on in – flight purchases:
Provided you use your Delta Gold American Express to pay for your in-flight purchases, you will receive a 20% discount on movies, food, drinks, video games, and earphones. The discount will show as a statement credit on your account approximately 6-8 weeks from the date of purchase.
No foreign transaction fees:
Members are not charged foreign transaction fees when using the card to make purchases while traveling outside of the U.S.
The Bad:
No introductory APR:
There is no introductory APR available with the Delta Gold American Express. A variable APR of 15.24% to 19.54% is applied to purchases and balance transfers. Your specific APR is determined at the time of approval and is based on your creditworthiness and other financial factors.
Annual fee:
There is an annual fee of $95 which is waived for the first year.
The Ugly:
Award travel doesn’t necessarily mean free:
Taxes, airport fees, and fuel surcharges can add hundreds of dollars to an award ticket (depending on the itinerary).
No Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs):
Delta Gold American Express doesn’t offer members the ability to earn MQMs which are what you need to earn to get Medallion Status with Delta. Delta’s recently overhauled Medallion Program is reserved for elite members who receive benefits ranging from seat upgrades and early boarding opportunities to mileage bonuses.
Delta Air Lines actually has three different versions of this card: Delta Gold American Express, Delta Platinum American Express and Delta Reserve American Express. Delta Gold has the lowest annual fee of $95 (waived for the first year) while the Delta Platinum charges $195. The Delta Reserve card has an annual fee of $450. For frequent travelers who spend less than $50,000 per year on a credit card, the Delta Gold American Express is a good choice. The other two cards (and accompanying rewards and benefits) are better suited to people who routinely spend over $50K annually on travel-related expenses.